. >> can you say a little bit about the significance of obama's re-election last week? >> i think a lot of it depends not on what president obama does. there is some expectation he is suddenly going to reveal his to -- his true progressive self now that he is relieved from the re- election. i think this is fantasy thinking. i think we of seen the true obama. i think the question is, will the democratic party, specifically the progressive and liberal components, change its behavior from cheerleader, from blindly supportive partisan apparatchiks -- which is what they were in the first term -- cheering a matter how contrary what he did was to their values, into some kind of force for the fulfill their duties as citizens. which is to hold political leaders accountable. i think the first test will be this week, the budget fight. where is almost certainly the case that president obama will do what he already attempted to do, which is part of the crown jewels of liberalism, which are social security, medicare, for cuts come in order to pursue this grand bargain with the republ